Handle for umbrellas



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARY KENNEDY WOODS, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

HANDLE FOR UMBRELLAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,055, dated November 29, 1898.

Application led September 18, 1897. Serial No. 652,149. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARYKENNEDY WOODS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Handle for Umbrellas, &c., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in supporters or holders for umbrellas or parasols; and the object that I have in view is to furnish a convenient device adapted to support an umbrella or parasol on the person and to permit the free use of both hands While engaged in riding a bicycle, as Well as in boating, mountain-climbing, sketching, or at any other time when it is desirable to have free use of the hands while securing protection from the sun or rain.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved device which can be adjusted at any angle that may be required to aord protection to the person, such adjustment being eected without releasing the clamping devices and by simply movingr the umbrella-sta on the universal joint.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved supporter adapted to be worn on the waist-belt and constructed to.

hold the handle securely and steadily in place,

while permitting ready separation and attachment of the parts as may be required.

A further object of theinvention is to make the umbrella foldable, so it can be closed compactly together for convenient attachment and carriage on a bicycle-frame.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the novel combination of elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, as Will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the following specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved supporter, showing the umbrella in its open position. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional elevation on the plane indicated by the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. l, showing a part of the sta. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the parts separated. Fig.N 4 is a detail view of the waist-plate to be attached to a belt.

Like numerals of reference designate like parts in all the gures of the drawings.

Referring by figures to the drawings, 1 designates the staff of an umbrella or parasol, which may be constructed in any suitable or preferred way.

In connection with the umbrella I employ an improved holder for permitting the umbrella to be adjusted at any angle that may be required and for attaching the umbrella securely to a waist-belt. of a universal joint 3, together with means for clamping the ball member of said universal joint rigidly and securely in position. The socket member 4 of the universal joint is divided for a part of its length by two or more longitudinal slots, thereby forming clampingjaws 5 at the open socketed end of said member. These longitudinal slots do not extend the full length of the socket member, but they terminate at or a little below the externallythreaded part 6 of the socket member 4. The lower threaded part of the socket member is fastened securely to a handle 7 in any suitable way, and over this handle and lower threaded part of the socket member are arranged the loose clamping-sleeve 8 and the threaded adj usting-sleeve 9. The clampingsleeve 8 is flared or cup-shaped at its upper extremity for the purpose of fitting snugly to the iared divided end of the socket member 4, and against the lower end of this loose clam ping-sleeve is adapted to bear the upper end of the adjusting-sleeve 9. This adjustin g-sleeve is internally screw-threaded to engage with the external threads on the lower part of the socket member 4, and said adjusting-sleeve may be provided on its outer surface with the milled ridges 9a, or said adjusting-sleeve may be made square or of other angular form externally to enable it to be Iirmly grasped and adjusted.

The handle 7 consists, preferably, of a single piece of Wood or metal with a broad shank This holder consists 10a, curved in the direction of its length up to a rounded or cylindrical part 10b. On this rounded or cylindrical part of the handle isloosely iitted the adjusting-sleeve when the latter is moved from engagement with the lower threaded end of the socket member 4, thus providing for the convenient adjustment of the threaded adjusting-sleeve and the loose clamping-sleeve when it is desired to release the umbrella-staff and fold the handle in compact relation to the umbrella for attachment to a bicycle-frame.

In connection with my improved support I employ alink 12 and a locking-sleeve 13. The loose connection afforded by the link with the ball member 4th of the universal joint and the umbrella-staff provides for the proper folding of the handle alongside of the umbrella when the parts are not in use; but when the staff is adjusted in alinement with the ball member 4b and the locking-sleeve 13 is moved downwardly across the joint between the ball member 4b and the staff 1 the staff is held in rigid relation to said ball member of the universal joint. I prefer to provide kerfs or slots 14 in the adjacent ends of the staff 1 and the shank of the ball member 4b, and in these slots are fitted and pivoted the ends of the link 12. The link is of a size to have its edges fiush with the staff and the shank of the ball member 4b, and the locking-sleeve 13 is of sufficient length to extend over and inelose the joint, so that the ball member and the staff are practically rigid one with the other when the locking-sleeve is adjusted to connect the parts together.

For the purpose of connecting the handle of the umbrella to a waist-belt I employ the socketed waist-plate 15. This plate is quite broad, and it is shaped to conform to the waist of the wearer to afford a good bearing for the support of the umbrella or parasol. On the front side of the waist-beltis attached an elongated box-like keeper 16, which forms a socket for the reception of the curved handle. This box-like keeper is curved longitudinally to conform to the shape of the waist-plate, and said keeper or socket is open at its upper and lower ends for the insertion or removal of the handle, as well as for the adjustment of the umbrella and its handle to suit the requirements and convenience of the wearer. The waist-plate may be of metal, leather, or other material; but when made of leather the box-like keeper is sewed or riveted to the waist-plate, as shown. This broad curved waist-plate is provided on its rear side with loops or keepers 17, which are arranged in alinement with each other to permit the waist-belt 18 to pass therethrough and be adj usted therein. rlhe waist-belt may be of any suitable construction, and, as shown, it is equipped with the usual buckle l0, or any other suitable fastener may be employed.

In using my improved holder the waistbelt is passed through the keepers on the waist-plate, and the belt is adjusted to the wearer to sustain the socketed waist-plate at the front of the body. The handle is thrust into the box-like keeper forming the socket of the waist-plate, and the umbrella or parasol is over the wearer to aord protection againstthesunorrain. 'lheadjusting-sleeve may be screwed up against the clampingsleeve to compress the divided or split part of the socket member and cause it to firmly clamp or grip the ball on the other member of the universal joint, thus holding the staff and umbrella firmly in their adjusted positions. The staff of the umbrella may be tilted or canted at any desired angle or position simply by moving the umbrella-staff to the required position, because the socketed member does not so firmly engage the ball member of the universal joint as to preclude adjustment of the ball member within the socket member. The employment of the split or socket member in connection with the loose clamping-sleeve operated by the threaded adj usting-sleeve serves, when the adjustingsleeve is tightened, to firmly grip the ball member on the staff and hold the umbrella or parasol firmly in position. The umbrella or parasol can be raised or lowered, as required, without detaching the handle from the waist-plate on the belt. To detach the umbrella, it is only necessary to lift the curved shank of the handle out of the socketplate, and by moving the locking-sleeve 13 upwardly on the umbrella-staff the handle can be folded in compact relation to the umbrella, thus providing for convenient storage of the device or its attachment to a bicycle-frame.

The staff of the umbrella may be made of wood or metal and the handle may be of wood, preferably in the form shown by the drawings. 'lhe ball-and-socket members of the universal joint, together with the adjustingsleeve, the clamping-sleeve, and the lockingsleeve, are made of metal.

The handle and the improved holder appliance may be manufactured as a part of an umbrella or parasol, or said parts maybe made separately to be attached to any ordinary umbrella or parasol.

The curved handle conforms to the shape of the body, and said handle is adapted to fit snugly in and to extend entirely through the socket in the waist-plate, so that the handle will wedge itself securely in place and be maintained in an upright position against swaying or being blown over by the wind; but the handle is subject to modification in its form and proportion.

By making the socket open at top and bottom the curved wedge-shaped handle is adapted to extend into and through the socket, as shown by the drawings, in a manner to hold itself rigidly in place; but the adjustment of the handle may be determined by the user, said handle being moved to suit the convenience of the person using the appliance.

In my improved umbrella the ball-andsoeket joint, the link pivoted to one member of the joint and to the umbrella-staff, and the locking-sleeve fitted to the joint member and IOO IZO

to the stad and link provide an improved connection by which the umbrella when closed may be allowed to hang in an inverted position from the waist-belt. This is very convenient to the user of the device, as it obviates the necessity for carrying the umbrella in a raised position or in the hand. T0 fold and drop the umbrella, it is first collapsed against the staff, the sleeve 13 is retracted from the shank of the ball member and from the link, and the clamping-sleeve is released to allow the ball member to turn in the socket member. The pivotal link between the stad and the ball member allows the staff and umbrella to hang downwardly from and be suspended by the belt, and thus the link connection, the sleeve, and the ball member of the universal joint are brought into operative relation to each other for a useful purpose in my improved support for. an umbrella.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an umbrella-support, the combination of a broad waist-plate curved to conform to the shape of a wearers waist, an open-ended vertical keeper rigid with said waist-plate on Ithe outside thereof, a belt attached to the waist-plate, and a longitudinally curved and tapered umbrella-handle wedged and detachably itted in the keeper, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In an umbrella-support, the broad curved waist-plate provided on its inner side with the belt-loops, and the angular keeper rigidly attached to the outside of the waist-plate and forming therewith a vertically-tapered openended socket of angular cross-sectional contour, in combination with a curved, tapered umbrella-handle which is wedged in said keeper and is held thereby against turning in the socket, and a waist-belt iitted in the loops of the waist-plate, substantial-ly as described.

3. In an umbrella-support, the combination with a staff and a handle, of the socketed joint member divided for a part of its length through the threaded socketed end thereof, and having its other end united rigidly to the handle, a ball-joint member attached to the staff, a clamping-sleeve fitted loosely to the socket member to embrace the jaws formed by the divided end thereof, and a threaded adjusting-sleeve engaging with the socketjoint member and bearing directly against the loose clamping-sleeve, said adjustingsleeve adapted to play over a part of the handle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARY KENNEDY WOODS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. ELDoN, J. F. STRIEBY. 

